


Thirst

by Issinder



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Dark Crack, Gen, Vampire Cid, it does have vampires, well sort of dark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-05 22:27:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16376162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Issinder/pseuds/Issinder
Summary: If you're too eager to drown in oblivion, Cid Garlond, you might end up with more than you bargained for...





	Thirst

What time was it?

Cid looked up, trying to focus on the unsharp image that was his bed. As objects sharpened into the foreground, the engineer saw his goggles lying by the side of his bed, accompanied by a note. He reached out and took the piece of paper from the nightstand.

_Chief,_

_You fainted during calibration. We thought it best to put you to bed. Please don’t overwork yourself or we’ll be forced to call for a chirurgeon to tie you down in one._

_~B and W_

He recognised the Lalafell’s handwriting. Had he fainted? Really? Cid remembered naught of this spell, nor did he know how many hours had passed since he was last awake. He sat up but immediately regretted this. His third eye was exuding a searing pain into the rest of his skull, making Cid gasp for breath in the darkened room. Dark… Seven hells, what time was it?

Cid checked the hourpiece. It was nine in the evening.

‘Gods be good,’ the engineer said groggily to the empty room. He waited a few moments for the pain to subside to a manageable level, then sat up. This time, he managed it without splitting his head in two. A few moments more and the man was on his feet, using a bedpost for support. The ache in his head made way for another, different pain, located in his neck. Cid rubbed it, feeling two lumps there that he could not place. He walked over to the mirror to examine them and saw two small holes, slightly swollen with a small amount of dried blood. A bite mark? When was he bitten? By what?

Going over events in his mind, Cid tried to pinpoint the when and what and how, maybe even the why. The tavern across the way. A night out with Biggs and Wedge to take the edge off. Still trying to be the leader on equal footing with his men. The boys had been understanding, however, and let him buy all the drinks accordingly.  
Then, a man had approached him. A magitek enthousiast. They’d spent the rest of the evening in conversation. What had they talked about? Ah yes, a new engine prototype. Would you care to see it? Cid had said. I’d be delighted, had been the response.

The next thing he knew, there were in the workshop together, Cid waxing lyrical about his new design, the man keeping quiet. Admiring the prototype, surely? Then, two hands on his shoulders.

Cid Garlond, the man said, long have I admired you.

Cid had tried to break free, but the man’s grip was surprisingly strong for his body type. He felt hot breath on his neck.

Look at me, the man said. Cid felt obligated to do so; his body would not listen to any other command. He turned his head and looked into the pair of red eyes that had replaced what he was sure had been a pair of green eyes mere moments before.

As the man moved his head down toward his neck, Cid feared this was going to be one erotic encounter he did not feel particularly enthused about, but when the man bit down something in him changed. Every worry, every care he had just washed away, and for the first time ever in his life Cid’s mind went completely blank, and all that remained was his physical form, yearning for whatever the stranger was giving him, moaning for more.

This had happened a few more times, Cid was sure of it. Every time the same sensation, but feeling more and more tired afterward. More drained, he supposed. Yet, he did not want the man to leave. Then he remembered; he was coming again tonight. It was dark. It wouldn’t be long now.

As if sensing his thoughts, the red-eyed man stood in his room. Cid had not heard him come in, but that was not unusual.

‘There you are. I’m afraid tonight might not be the best night, no matter how much I need it,’ the engineer sighed, unaware that he was rubbing his neck in anticipation. The man merely smiled.

‘Don’t worry, tonight will be the last time.’

Cid looked sad, but he supposed that if he were to have only one more night of oblivion, he could muster the strength. He walked over to the man, who opened his arms in welcome.

‘Cid,’ the man whispered against the skin on his neck, nuzzling it ever so slightly. Cid closed his eyes. He’d never thought of another man in any romantic or erotic fashion and he still didn’t, with the exception of this man who filled him with a yearning he could not quite place, seeing as it was neither of the two categories he’d mentioned earlier. He only knew that he needed him, and if tonight was the last time he’d receive a visit, he’d have to make it count. 

As the man placed one hand on the back of his neck, Cid moaned in anticipation. The stranger laughed softly. ‘Ready for me, I see? Good.’

As he bit down, Cid cried out in pain. Soon enough, however, the pain was once again replaced by that raw need he had felt all the previous times. Nothing else mattered.

As the stranger drank in more and more of his blood, Cid felt himself almost drift into unconsciousness. His vision swam as he saw the stranger pull his head back, a little of the Garlean’s blood still on his lips, and lift him. A few moments later, Cid was back on the bed, the stranger sitting on the edge, a blade in his hand. Of course it would end like this. Nothing nice ever lasted. Cid groaned. He did not foresee what happened next as the man took the blade and made a small incision in his own wrist.  
‘Drink, Cid,’ the man said, holding out the damaged arm near his mouth.

Drink? This was mad. Surely, he could not… But Cid found that he could, eagerly even, place the open wound to his lips and drink the man’s blood. He clung to the arm, drinking deep until the man pulled it away from him.

‘Always so greedy for more,’ the stranger chided. ‘No matter, you shall have more elsewhere. Bon voyage, friend.’

The man disappeared. If Cid didn’t know any better, he would have sworn the man turned into mist and left through the window into the dark skies, but that could not be, surely? Licking the blood from his lips, the engineer initially felt nothing but a heavy fatigue. Then, a stabbing pain hit him from all angles and he screamed, clutching his sheets, his back arching, his head moving left and right has he tried to cope with the agony that was everywhere. For what seemed like hours, Cid begged for an end to the pain. Just let me die, he shrieked to the room. Please let me die.

Then, the pain subsided and Cid felt lighter somehow. Everything felt lighter. Carefully, he sat upright in his bed, taking in the world around him. Everything seemed sharper, even the things outside the lamp light were more than shadows. He could easily tell them apart from where he sat. He swung his feet over the side and stood up, stretching his various limbs and neck. He felt around for the puncture marks that had been there earlier, but felt nothing. How very strange. Everything in the room felt different.The light was more of a burden than a help, so Cid snuffed it out. In the pure dark, everything made sense. Cid noticed he heard better. The sounds coming in from outside were sharper, clearer, the smells more defined. All of his senses were heightened. What a strange development.

Opening the door to his room and stepping into the corridor, Cid walked the short distance to the workshop. What a time of day to be working. Well, no time like the present and seeing as he felt more awake now than he had in quite some time, Cid grabbed the plans for the engine prototype and set to work on improving them, rejiggering this and that, putting his changes into practice on the machine itself.

How it was already dawn, he did not know. He saw the sun come in through the window next to the front door. Cid walked over with the intent to watch the sunrise, but a fleeting moment in the sun’s rays made him change his mind immediately. His skin felt like it was on fire the moment it was touched by the light, and the engineer jumped back, hissing at the sensation. So, there was a price to be paid for this gift? Cid snarled at himself as he felt two upper incisors grow into fangs. He covered his mouth with his hand. Seven hells. The stranger had made him into… into what? A creature like him? Cid sank down on the floor, looking at the light he would never more be able to enjoy again, cursing himself. But what could he have done? Resistance had not been an option. Or had he just not resisted hard enough? Plagued by questions, Cid scribbled a quick note for Biggs and Wedge so they would not come looking for him and returned to his room, which was still blissfully untouched by light since it faced away from the rising sun. He quickly closed the curtains, sank down on his bed and wept and cursed in equal measure.

\---

Lyrianne Vavellier, the tall, Elezen Warrior of Light, peered into the workshop. Biggs and Wedge were reading a note, worried expressions on their faces.  
‘Is everything alright, chaps?’  
‘Oh, we’re fine, but the chief’s still under the weather,’ Biggs replied. ‘Did you know we had to carry him to bed yesterday? He fainted in the middle of the workshop.’  
‘Oh no, did he?’ Lyrianne gasped, one hand on her heart. Cid had always been dear to her, from the moment they met when he didn’t know his own name, to the present, when he was working hard to make technology available to everyone to make their daily lives easier.

‘He’s got us all stumped, and that’s the truth,’ Wedge said. ‘The chief never gets sick.  
True enough. I think he may have caught a cold once. I clearly remember he coughed. Or maybe it was just a sneeze. I’m not sure anymore, to be honest.’  
Lyrianne smiled, but she could see the unrest on the men’s faces.  
‘Would it make you feel better if I check to see how he is doing?’ she asked.  
‘Please do,’ Biggs said. ‘We would but this client is pushing us hard, and the chief wouldn’t want our worrying to get in the way of meeting a deadline. That being said,’ the Roegadyn mused,’ the chief has done something last night. The schematics have been updated and improved and he’s tinkered with the engine.’  
‘You think he might be asleep, then?’  
‘Probably,’ Biggs admitted.  
‘In that case, I’ll just knock gently,’ the tall Elezen said.

Lyrianne walked down the corridor leading to Cid’s sleeping quarters. She lifted her hand to knock on his door, when she heard movement within. Pacing.  
‘Cid?’ she said.  
No answer came, but the pacing stopped.  
‘Cid, are you alright?’  
‘I’m… fine, Lyrianne, tell the boys,’ came the reply, but something about it sounded strained.  
‘Cid, if you need a chirurgeon-’  
‘I’m fine.’ Cid’s voice had an angry tone.  
‘Very well, master Garlond, I shall leave you to you own devices,’ Lyrianne snapped back, striding back to the workshop.  
‘It appears Cid is in no mood to converse,’ she said in passing as she strode into the daylight, leaving Biggs and Wedge to look at each other, wondering what had transpired in the short amount of time Lyrianne had been away.

\---

Cid groaned. While his friend’s worry had been flattering, he felt like he was in no fit state to talk to anyone. He felt a hunger inside that could not be assuaged by eating. The grapes he’d tried earlier had just come back up again immediately, lending weight to his hypothesis that he could no longer eat regular food. What then? Animal blood, perhaps? The thought sickened him. He did not want to drink the blood of any creature, but if that was the only way to fight this hunger…

He’d have to wait for nightfall. Perhaps if he closed his eyes until the time came.

Cid lay down on the bed and tried to find sleep. Luckily, it did not evade him for long as the hunger gave way to nothingness, not even a dream.

\---

The entire day had had dark clouds looming over it. Lyrianne had gone from anger to worry to downright fear as something bad surely must have happened to Cid for him to shut her out like that, not to mention Biggs and Wedge. He’d never let his boys worry about him. It was un-Cid-ish. Was that even a word? It was now, she thought.

If he decided to work late instead, that’s when she’d visit him. She would not give up on her friend and let him face whatever he was dealing with alone. It would not do to abandon the engineer.

She stopped by the inn to pick up a dish she knew Cid liked and walked over to the workshop where Biggs and Wedge were about to shut the door behind them.  
‘Wait a moment!’  
The two engineers looked tired. They’d been working on the prototype all the day and the sun was beginning to disappear, sinking below the horizon. Biggs held the door for her.  
‘Giving it another go, then?’  
The Elezen smiled. ‘I have to. I cannot simply let matters rest as they are. Cid is my friend and I will find out what ails him if I have to send the Twelve into his room.’  
‘Then we won’t stop you. Just let us know if you need our help.I’ll keep my linkpearl open, just in case,’ Biggs said, Wedge nodding in agreement.  
‘Anything for the chief, Lyrianne, just call us,’ the Lalafell said.  
She gave them a warm smile. Really, Cid couldn’t have hoped for better friends to work with.

She strode into the workshop and placed the food parcel on the table, wondering if he would walk out the moment he heard the door shut, or if she should go and knock.

\---

Cid carefully moved the curtain aside an ilm and peered outside. The sun had finally set. Good. There was still some light outside, but not enough to hurt him, he thought. He would have to go out. Just to be safe, he stuck his arm out of the window. Nothing happened. That was one hypothesis tested and proven. He had a mind to jump out of the window, but there were still people out on the street and he could not risk drawing undue attention to himself. The front door would have to suffice. His need was growing greater by the minute. He had to find some form of sustenance and soon. He opened the door and made for the workshop.

\---

The sound of footsteps coming down the corridor alerted Lyrianne to the engineer’s presence as Cid strode into the workshop. She had been prepared to see a tired Garlean emerge from the shadows, but this was even worse than she had anticipated. The engineer’s face had a thin, pale look to it which did not match his usual bright appearance in the slightest, and his eyes looked haunted and sunken. He made directly for the door, ignoring her completely. Did he not smell what she had brought with her? She coughed, gently alerting him to her presence.

\---

Cid halted, one hand on the door, as he heard a coughing noise behind him. Who? Who would possibly…

He turned around to see Lyrianne sitting at the table, some food set out in front of her. Clearly, she had planned to ensnare him into at least eating something, probably thinking he needed the food and company to regain his strength. He cursed inwardly. Please, not now.

‘I have to go out, Lyrianne. Perhaps some other time.’

His hand moved down and the door opened an ilm before being shut again by the quick Elezen who would simply not take no for an answer.

‘You will dine with me, Cid Garlond, and you will tell me what is the matter,’ the woman said in a clipped tone. Her face softened. ‘I’m sorry for being harsh with you, but your friends worry about you and we want to make sure you’re alright. Please trust us.’

She practically begged him and Cid felt compelled to at least sit down with her, resisting the urge to just make a run for it. He sat down at the table but made no motion to touch the food she had brought him. Lyrianne seemed intent on leading by example, however, so she grabbed a fork and dug in.

Cid watched her take a bite, chew and swallow, swallowing along himself as she did. Seven hells, did the woman have a beautiful neck…

\---

As she was about to take her second bite, Lyrianne noticed that something in Cid’s demeanour had changed. Instead of trying to make good his escape with some apology or other, he now just sat there, eyeing her with some morbid fascination. She slowly took another bite, not taking her eyes off him, chewed and swallowed. She noted his eyes had a hungry look about him. What was he playing at?

‘Cid? What is on your mind?’

The question did not quite sink in. ‘What?’ Cid responded, looking somewhat dazed.

Lyrianne put own her fork. ‘That’s it, we’re getting you to a chirurgeon. You are clearly in no fit state to be doing anything.’

She stood up and made for the door, but a strong hand pulled her back.

‘No,’ Cid said, looking deep into her eyes. ‘No chirurgeons, no meddling, this is no one’s problem but my own.’

\---

Lyrianne blinked. ‘No chirurgeons,’ she repeated with a dream-like voice. Cid inhaled sharply. He was doing to her what the stranger had done to him, a kind of suggestion-based hypnosis. She could not resist him and he knew she would obey his every command. He felt his fangs itch and grow in his mouth. Her smell…

\---

As Cid moved closer to her, Lyrianne could sense her body but was unable to move. His eyes held her captive as she watched them change from a greyish blue to a deep red. Was this part of his ailment?

His breathing became more laboured and as he opened his mouth a bit she could see that two of the teeth in his upper jaw had lengthened into sharp fangs.

‘Lyrianne,’ he whispered, panting slightly, ‘are you aware even in the slightest how amazing you smell?’

He gently touched her neck, running his fingers down its side along the veins. ‘Such a wonderful smell. I-’

He stopped, seemingly involved in an internal struggle.

‘Cid, whatever is ailing you, we can find help,’ Lyrianne heard herself say, though she still felt like she was not in full control of her own actions. The engineer swallowed hard and looked at her pleadingly.

‘You do not understand, I must…’

He growled and stepped away from her, releasing her from whatever spell he had cast upon her.

‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘Now please let us find a chirurgeon, or a white mage or, or, I don’t know, someone who can help you. Someone must know what form of affliction this is.’

\---

Cid grabbed his head. His friend’s concern was like a hammer hitting him repeatedly on the head, reminding him that he was no longer the master of his own fate. Some stranger had wrested it from him and left him like this, a husk of a man, scarcely himself in the face of temptation. He could not let his friend pay for his own mistakes.

‘Please leave,’ he pleaded once more, hoping that she’d take the hint that she was in danger and just go. The Elezen, however, was in no mood to put up with his antics.

‘No can do, Cid. Stay put and I’ll find someone.’

She made for the door once more.

‘NO!’ He roared, closing the short distance between them once more and grabbing her by the waist. This time, however, the Arcanist had been ready for him, and the force that was her Carbuncle hit him in the side and launched him into the wall.

‘Cid, you are not yourself!’ Lyrianne cried out. ‘You have to take back control.’

Cid got up, shaking off the pain from hitting the wall. ‘You know nothing of what ails me!’  
‘Then tell me!’  
‘I will beat this on my own terms!’ the engineer roared. The Carbuncle had placed itself between Lyrianne and him. No matter. He would not fight her any further. He focused in a way he had not been able to before, and felt himself dissolve…

\---

Lyrianne was taken aback when her friend disappeared into a kind of dense fog, which moved away from her, through the space underneath the door and into the darkening evening. The engineer was nowhere to be seen. Had he just used the mist as cover to go back to his quarters?

The Warrior wasted no time and ran to where she thought the engineer must have gone. There was no sign of him however, nor of any window being opened and jumped out of. There was no sign of anything out of the ordinary in the room at all. Lyrianne rubbed her eyes. What was she missing?

Well, whatever it was, she wasn’t going to find the Garlean here. She opened the curtain to see the last of the light disappear behind the horizon. She also spotted mist rolling into an alley and out of view. Mist did not move like that, not naturally. As hard as it was to believe, Cid had apparently learned how to transform into mist. But how had he managed it? Was he doing some form of experiment only on himself so as not to endanger anyone else? Was this a type of Resonant? Surely he wouldn’t…

It was difficult arguing with the facts of the situation, but rather than make assumptions Lyrianne bolted outside and into the alley she had seen the mist disappear into earlier. She would bring back the Cid she knew and loved if it would kill her.

\---

Being mist was such a strange sensation. He was seeing but not through actual eyes. It was more like he was sensing his surroundings with every fiber of his being, stretching out to take up a lot more space. He noticed Lyrianne coming up behind him and quickened the pace, diving into a nearby sewer and making a 180-degree turn to follow it in the opposite direction. Surely, this would throw her off. The darkness was his sanctuary, and in it he saw and felt every other, living thing for at least a malm in each direction. Every little heartbeat, every breath. What an amazing feeling.

He focused on one in particular, one closeby. It was a small rodent, like so many that inhabited the sewers. Cid felt it struggle against his will, but it had no choice. He had to try if animal blood was the solution he needed. He retook his regular form and grabbed the creature, sinking his fangs into its neck. The rodent squeaked but could do naught else as its life force was quickly being drained. Once it had stopped struggling and Cid had drained it of all its blood, he tossed the empty husk aside, panting. He had been desperate for this, had needed it so badly he had almost attacked his friend to get it. Yet, the blood tasted foul and did not sate his appetite. He needed more. Using his heightened senses, he tried to find more rodents, but a number had fled when they realised this new presence was a predator and a bloody dangerous one at that. He’d have to take the hunt outside the town proper if he were going to snag something better, or even anything at all. Using his new-found power to change back into mist, Cid kept going until he found an exit drain near the outskirts of town and resurfaced near the woods. The fog slithered into the undergrowth unnoticed.

\---

Watching Mist nan Garlond, as she now called this form, disappear into a drain had been frustrating.The opening wasn’t large enough for either her Carbuncle or herself to fit through and so she had no choice but to call Biggs and Wedge on linkpearl to ask if they had a map of the sewer network somewhere. Of course they had not, but they knew an official they could call in a favour with, and soon the three of them were pouring over the map, trying to figure out where the man could have resurfaced. Lyrianne had filled the pair in on what had happened and they could hardly believe what she told them.  
‘He turned into fog? Truly?’ Wedge said, his mouth hanging open.  
‘Before my very eyes, otherwise I would have scarce believed it myself.’  
Biggs just stared at the map. ‘And he tried to attack you?’  
Lyrianne nodded. ‘He did, though I know not for what reason. He was very insistent on my smell being appetising, however.’  
Wedge frowned. ‘To tell you the honest truth, I thought the chief wasn’t into… other people. I figured he’d one day make a clone of himself and raise that if he ever desired fatherhood.’  
The other two laughed. ‘I must admit I was entertaining similar thoughts,’ Lyrianne replied, but something did not sit well with her. Whatever Cid had said, the hunger in his eyes had not looked quite like lust to her. It was more like he wanted to... consume her. She shook her head. ‘In any case, we need to find out the man’s whereabouts before someone is injured or worse.’  
The other two nodded. ‘I think we’ll need to split up,’ Biggs said. ‘We’ll cover more ground and if one of us is successful, they can linkpearl the others.’  
Wedge and Lyrianne nodded. ‘I’ll take the woods to the south,’ she said.  
‘I’ll check the old Castrum,’ Wedge said. ‘It’s been abandoned for ages,’ he noted in response to his companions’ worried expressions.  
‘Right, good point. I’ll check the eastern fields,’ the Roegadyn answered.

Having agreed upon their next course, each set out in a different direction. Lyrianne regretted not wearing something a bit more battle-worthy, wearing a loose shirt, a flowing skirt and a pair of sandals, but time was of the essence. They needed to find Cid as soon as possible and take him back to the Ironworks to have someone take a look at him. Surely, Y’Shtola would know what to do about something like this? Or Urianger, who seemed to have an extensive knowledge of many things. Either of them, surely, would know what their friend was suffering from?

Her Carbuncle had crawled upon her shoulder and nuzzled her face, and its slight weight felt comforting. ‘We’ll find him, Misha,’ she said. ‘I have a good feeling about those woods. If he truly hungers for something, he may try to find sustenance there. As much as the idea disturbs me, if he sates whatever appetite he has with forest creatures instead of people, I shall be relieved.’

At the edge of the forest, Lyrianne looked around for any sign to indicate Cid had passed through here. There was nothing but the dense air beneath the thick canopy, however, and she was unsure of how to find him. ‘Can you sense him, Misha?’  
The Carbuncle jumped off her shoulder, sniffing the air and listening.

‘Niu!’ it said after a while, jumping up and down to indicate she should follow him.  
‘Lead the way, I am right behind you.’

\---

Just one wayward bird. That was all he managed to hunt down tonight besides the rodent from earlier. This was terrible. Cid growled as he drained the last of the bird’s even more disgusting blood. He needed to sharpen his hunting prowess if he were to keep doing this instead of hunting people. He also noticed that using his powers drained him quicker and made him hunger more. Clearly, his pray needed to be bigger if he were to get enough of a return to both stifle the hunger and use his powers to ensnare. Mayhap the quality of the blood itself played a part? He shook his head. Too many untested variables floating around in there and he wasn’t going to solve any of this tonight. He walked around cautiously for a bit longer and spotted a clearing a bit further down with a few antelope doing some late-night grazing. His fangs ached, but if he were to ensnare one of these beasts, he’d have to go about it cautiously. The stags were nothing to laugh at, and one encounter with those horns was sure to leave him with a wound he might not be able to recover from by himself, and he’d be damned if he pulled Biggs, Wedge or Lyrianne into this. Knowing the Warrior, she’d already alerted his engineer friends to what had happened, so it wasn’t just for survival that he hunted, but also to prevent hurting them should he see them again. His breath got stuck in his throat at the thought that his current predicament might leave him alone and friendless. The thought rang too similar to what large parts of his youth had been like and he was loathe to repeat those days. Taking a deep, silent breath, he krept up to the herd, looking around for a suitable victim. His eyes rested on a specimen that was sporting a limp, and he transformed into mist once more to ensure he would not make a sound as he moved closer to the creature through the undergrowth. Just as he was about to make his move, a Carbuncle burst unto the clearing, startling the stag and sending the rest of the herd into a hurried frenzy to get away from whatever was going to happen. A spell shot out of the forest, hitting the stag square in the head and taking the beast down.

\---

Lyrianne entered the clearing as Misha made sure to stand between her and the injured stag. The beast got up again but thought better of attacking her. He made some threatening gestures, but then ran into the woods after the rest of his herd. The Elezen sighed.

‘I don’t think Cid is a stag, Misha,’ she said. The Carbuncle still bounced around, however, running to the other side of the clearing near where the stag had just disappeared.

‘Niu!’

She narrowed her eyes. ‘Cid? Are you here?’

\---

Blast that woman to all seven hells! Cid reformed himself and strode into the clearing, quickly glaring at the Carbuncle. ‘Stay.’

Misha did as he was told.

‘Why did you follow me? Could you not have left well enough alone until I at least had all the variables at my disposal? Whatever I have has nothing to do with you and you would do well to keep out of my way,’ he growled, baring his fangs to the cool air.

\---

Lyrianne felt the hairs on her skin stand on end as the red-eyed Garlean approached her. She reached for her linkpearl but Cid moved one hand up in her direction and her own arm stilled mid-motion.

‘Cid, please,’ she begged. ‘Let me help you.’  
‘You would have helped plenty by staying out of my way,’ the man snarled, quickly closing the last few yalms between them. ‘You should have left well enough alone. Not every problem in the world is your business.’  
‘Cid, I-’  
‘Quiet!’ he bellowed, his face close to her own. ‘Stop placing yourself in harm’s way for the sake of others who do not need or deserve it!’

\---

Those last words caught him by surprise. Everything about tonight had been crazy, but his true feelings had always been his own. Ever since Meteor, he had felt like he had to make up for it. For his involvement, for not trying harder to stop his father from committing an unspeakable act which ended up destroying an entire citadel and all its inhabitants. Whatever terrible fate had befallen him now, it was deserved and of his own making. As he calmed himself down, he noticed, once again, that smell. Her smell. Her blood singing in her veins.  
‘Lyrianne.’  
Cid pressed his face into her neck, nuzzling the soft fabric, thirsting to sink his fangs into the flesh beneath. He could no longer hold back. In one motion, he ripped away her shirt, exposing her naked upper body to the open air. He plunged his fangs into her neck and drank deep, feeling her blood flow into him. Ah, fulfilment at last.

\---

Lyrianne could not move. She tried fighting it in the beginning, but the moment those sharp teeth had breached the skin on her neck, all the fight had gone clean out of her. She felt a sudden peace come over her as all her worries disappeared, wrapping her arms around the man who was slowly draining her of the very blood that brought her life. This sweet oblivion was something she’d never known, but in this moment she was no longer the Warrior of Light, no longer the person carrying the fate of the world on her shoulders, and she surrendered utterly to the sensation, moaning her approval to the moon above them.

\---

From the edge of the clearing, the stranger looked on. Cid had lasted quite a while, but none could resist the call of the blood in the end. He’d discover the rest of his powers soon enough, of that the man was sure. They always did. Now, to find his next meal. He’d quite liked the taste of Garlean blood but there was so little of it in these parts. He had heard of a tall, blond Garlean nosing around some Allagan ruins not too far away, however. Perhaps that was a rumour he ought to follow up on. Silently, he glided back into the forest, leaving the predator and his prey to their own devices.


End file.
